


Written Words

by Just_a_simple_trash_can



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Damen is a sweetheart, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, M/M, Neighbors AU, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 07:30:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14039244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_simple_trash_can/pseuds/Just_a_simple_trash_can
Summary: Soulmate AU: Your soulmate’s name is written on your wristLaurent DeVere lost his soulmark at the age of ten. More than a decade later, he moves into a new apartment only to find that his too kind roommate is his soulmate.





	Written Words

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at just-a-simple-trash-can

Laurent DeVere lost his soul mark at the age of ten. He had gotten his at a rather young age, which was far more rare than losing it. In the silence of his room from the age of four, he studied and studied as much as his young mind could handle so he could read the name for himself. His parents had obviously read the mark, as had his older brother, but his parents had passed when Laurent was only five. His mother of an illness and his father of a broken heart. Auguste never told him what his mark said, so Laurent learned on his own even after the two were sent to live with Richard DeVere, their father’s brother. Auguste was only thirteen, but he knew what a vile man his uncle was and did everything in his power to keep him away from Laurent, even if it meant locking the two of them in his room until Auguste knew that the coast was clear. 

Whenever the young blonde got the chance, he studied to try and figure out what the name said. At the age of six, he was able to figure out that the name was written in Greek. It was enough. Laurent knew that everything was going to be okay after that. As long as he had Auguste and his soul mark, he was going to be okay.

Auguste wasn’t perfect though, and he couldn’t always be there to protect Laurent. There was so much that he didn’t save Laurent from that he regrets. There was nothing he could have done against his uncle, though. Auguste was too young and too afraid of Laurent being hurt because of him. He did everything he could, but Richard was a smart man and knew that Auguste was a risk. There was a constant battle between the two when it came to Laurent and Auguste was dead set on winning no matter what he had to do. Laurent was his little brother and he would do anything to keep him safe. 

Auguste was able to save him the last time. The last time they would ever see their uncle and the last time Laurent would be hurt. Auguste has been woken up by the sound of his brother’s crying. He immediately shot up in bed and saw the younger blonde holding himself with tears streaming down his cheeks. Auguste knelt down next to him, trying to wipe away his tears and comfort him. Laurent just sobbed out that there wasn’t any writing on his wrist anymore. Auguste simply picked up his brother and carried him out of the house, calling the police as he walked to a neighbor’s home. Laurent sobbed into his brother’s shoulder as Auguste told one of the officers everything that had happened that night and the events that had led up to it. He was only eighteen and couldn’t yet accept his parent’s inheritance or take Laurent out of their uncle’s home. KHe was trapped between a rock and a hard place, having to bite his tongue and did what his uncle wanted. 

He was able to convince Laurent to testify in court against their uncle when the time came and it was enough. Auguste was able to receive the money from his parent’s will and keep Laurent was safe. 

Their uncle being sent to prison wasn’t enough, though. Laurent was a changed person. From the age of ten on, Laurent wore laced clothing that covered his entire body. It was hard to get on, but it was even harder to get off and that was what Laurent needed most in life. There were other people like his uncle in the world and Auguste wasn’t always going to be there to protect him, so Laurent took his own measures by locking himself away and keeping to himself. The only person he ever brought himself to talk to was Auguste.

There was a part of Laurent that was still afraid, though. Another part told him that he couldn’t ever love his soulmate even if he did meet them. He felt incapable of love. Laurent felt empty and alone despite all the support he had gotten from Auguste. Laurent closed himself off from the world because he was afraid of getting hurt again. He didn’t want to get close to anyone, fearing the risk that someone would try to take advantage of him. 

Auguste hated that more than anything. Laurent had changed drastically and hid himself away, refusing to be away from Auguste at any moment. His brother was the only person he trusted and Auguste wanted nothing more than to kill his uncle for what he did. He couldn’t, though, so he did what he thought was best. With the money that the brothers had inherited, Auguste rented the two of them a two bedroom studio apartment for them to live in. The brothers were able to live seemingly normal lives. Laurent was enrolled in a public school and Auguste took online classes to make sure that he could take care of Laurent if needed. The younger blonde focused more on his school work and translating the Greek name that was still missing from his wrist than worrying about the childhood Auguste pestered him to have. 

In the eighth grade, Laurent had finally been able to translate the name, having the access to a reliable translator as well as the time to make sure that he was spelling the name correctly. Online translators were untrustworthy and there weren’t many books written in Greek where the brothers resided. Fortunately, Laurent found a translator who spoke Greek, a young man by the name of Pallas. He was rather confused to be meeting with a thirteen year old, but didn’t ask any questions when he was given five hundred dollars for a simple translation. Pallas took one look at the name and wrote it out for Laurent in Veretian, sounding it out for the blonde as best as he could. Damianos Akielon. Laurent almost snorted at the sight of it.

What kind of name is that? Laurent thought. Nevertheless, he knew who his soulmate was. Now he just needed to make sure he could properly reject Damianos if they ever met. Laurent didn’t believe he could never be loved by anyone. His physical and psychological scars were enough to scare him; he could only imagine what could happen if someone else found out. Damianos Akielon deserved better than someone who couldn’t prove that he was their soulmate. The mark was never going to return and Laurent wasn’t going to force it to. Laurent just needed to avoid Damianos as best as he could. If he was lucky, he would never meet Damianos and the man would fall in love with someone who could genuinely love him. Laurent only needed Auguste and Auguste stayed by his side no matter what.

As time passed, though, and Laurent got older, the younger blonde realized that he needed to get his own place and live without the watchful eyes of his brother. The thought terrified him, but Auguste had a family and Laurent didn’t want to be reliant on his brother’s protection for the rest of his life.

After he had turned twenty-two and his niece had been born, he sat Auguste down to talk about it.

“Are you sure about this?” Auguste asked, reaching over and holding Laurent’s hand. “Angelina and I certainly don’t mind you living here, Laurent.” The younger blonde gave his brother a weak smile.

“You two are newlyweds,” Laurent replied. “And you need your privacy. I would prefer to live closer to my campus as well. Give Cecilia her own room. I’ll find an apartment closer to the university. I...I need to learn to take care of myself, Auguste. I can’t hide in my shell forever.”

“Well, I am proud of you, but I always thought that I would be taking care of you forever.” Laurent let out a laugh and shook his head.

“As much as I love you, I don’t think I could stand living with you once you become an old man.” Auguste put his hand over his heart in fake offense.

“Old man? How dare you, Laurent. I don’t look a day over twenty.” Laurent smirked.

“Say that to the gray hairs in your braid.” Auguste let out another gasp and Angelina, Auguste’s wife, walked out carrying their two month old baby.

“Laurent,” his sister-in-law scolded, a smile on her lips. “Don’t make my husband any more insecure than he already is.” The younger blonde shrugged.

“I’m just trying to warn him about what’s going to come in the next five or so years.”

“My rude brother was just explaining to me that he is planning on moving out.” Angelina gave her brother a look. 

“Laurent, you're apart of the family. We certainly don't mind.” The younger blonde gave her a smile.

“I appreciate it, Angelina, but I cannot rely on my brother forever. Besides, I don't want to bother you with my constant coming and going. I find it to be easier if I just more closer to my campus. I've already looked at a few apartments and I've found one with available housing that's quite nice.”

“Well,” Auguste sighed. “Will you at least allow us to pay for the rent your first year? Just until you've gotten yourself settled in?” Laurent sighed, but surrendered.

“Fine, but I will be handling my own tuition.”

“I think not. We have the money, Laurent.”

“We have uncle’s money.”

“And after everything that he has done, he damn well deserves to lose everything. This is our money, little brother, and I would prefer for all of it to go to you. You're doing a lot in college and you won't have time for a job. Let me do this. Allow me to help you until you're in a comfortable position.”

“You're a noble man, Auguste,” Laurent sighed again. “You're going to keep arguing this so fine. You win. I suppose I'll just have to pay you back once I get my career going.”

“You're going to be the best lawyer, Laurent,” Auguste smiled. “I'm proud of you.”

“We both are,” Angelina added, sitting next to her husband. “You've made an example of yourself.” Laurent rubbed his left wrist nervously. 

“I could have been better,” Laurent mumbled. Auguste tightly gripped his brother’s hand. 

“You did what you could,” the older blonde mumbled. “You're a good man, Laurent. I'm proud of you and I love you more than anything in this world.” Auguste paused. “Other than my wife and daughter of course.” The three shared a laugh together. Laurent squeezed his older brother’s hand and pulled away, smiling at him.

The first night that Laurent spent in his apartment made him regret even suggesting the idea. It was too quiet and too empty. The air around the blonde was suffocating him with loneliness. Laurent rolled around in his bed for hours until he gave up and walked into his living room. The only furniture that sat there was one of the armchairs from Auguste’s own home and a stand that used to be in Laurent’s room that he hadn't gotten around to moving. On the wall was an LED clock that glowed red in the darkness. Eleven o’clock at night wasn’t too late and it was partially Laurent’s fault for trying to go to bed at eight. He had planned to go to the market in the morning so his fridge wasn’t completely empty and he wouldn't have to rely on takeout. 

Laurent grabbed a pack of cigarettes that he had thrown onto the kitchen counter and opened the door that led to his balcony. He leaned against the wall and looked upon the night life. The city was quiet where he was and it killed him. He was so used to the sounds of Angelina taking care of the baby or Auguste watching T.V. that the lack of noise was slowly driving him insane. The blonde pulled out a cigarette and prepared to light it, only to find that he didn't have a lighter. 

Not even matches, Laurent mentally hissed. Idiot.

“You know,” a deep voice chuckled not far from Laurent. “It's awful hard to smoke without a lighter.” Laurent turned his head to glare at the speaker until he made eye contact with the man. Laurent’s neighbor was...big. That was the only word Laurent could use to describe him. The man was easily over six feet tall while Laurent himself stood at five foot ten. He was also very muscled, but not excessively or unhealthily so. He could very easily bench press the blonde. The idea suddenly made Laurent very nervous.

“Yes, so what are you going to do about it?” Laurent hissed out. He was far too frustrated and stressed to deal with this man. The man smiled and pulled out his own lighter.

“You seem nice, so I’ll let you borrow it.” He held the lighter out to Laurent who stared at it in confusion then took it. He brought the flame to the end of his cigarette, lit it, then handed it back to his neighbor. The man lit his own cigarette that Laurent never saw him take out and set the lighter down on the table next to him. “I'm Damen by the way. Damianos technically, but the nickname is easier.” The name hit Laurent like a bullet.

“That's not a common name,” Laurent mumbled, holding his cigarette between his pointer and middle finger. He blew the smoke out of his mouth and tried not to run back inside to hide himself away.

“Nah. Definitely gets attention though. What's your name?” Laurent froze and almost bit his cigarette. The blonde quickly pressed the end of the cigarette on the wall and drop the bud by the ashes.

“Need to quit that shitty habit.” Damen let out a laugh. 

“Same. It's not good for my son.” That got Laurent’s attention. This man couldn't possibly be old enough to be a father. Before the blonde could open his mouth to ask, a door was slammed closed from somewhere inside.

“Damen!” a young voice called out. “I'm home.” 

“That's Nicaise, my son.” Laurent tilted his head in confusion. “My adopted son. We've lived together for about three years now. Nicaise! Come meet our neighbor!” A brunette boy stuck his head out the door.

“He's blonde.” Nicaise looked at his father. “Don't you have a thing for blo-”

“You should get ready for bed, Nic. It's late. You have school tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning.” Damianos moving to speak to his son gave Laurent the ability to see the taller man’s wrist. It was hard to read the writing at the angle he was at, but he saw the name and that was enough. Laurent DeVere. The blonde swallowed nervously. Just what he feared. He dug his fingers into the wall and considered walking back into his apartment and never socializing with his unfairly attractive neighbor again. Damen turned around and opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Laurent.

“I have to go- I mean-” Laurent stopped talking for a moment and organized his thoughts. “I have class in the morning and I have to go...do that. I’m sorry. I-” The blonde cut himself off and stormed inside his apartment, slamming the door closed. He pressed his back against the glass and tried to keep his breath calm. “Fuck.” Laurent looked at his wrist despite knowing that nothing was going to be there. He rubbed his thumb along the spot where Damen’s name should have been. He sighed and walked back to his bedroom. Laurent curled under his blanket, trying to forget about what happened outside. No matter what destiny said, Laurent wasn’t allowed to fall in love. If fate found him to be undeserving, then so be it. It didn’t matter what Laurent thought about Damianos or how kind he seemed to be. He may have been Damen’s soulmate, but Damen wasn’t his. He learned that a long time ago.

Laurent, having difficulty falling asleep, didn’t pass out till around four in the morning and woke up around noon. The blonde saw the time on his alarm clock and nearly fell out of bed to grab his phone. The screen showed the same time, causing Laurent to throw his phone and bury his face in his pillow. He was silently thankful that he didn’t have classes on Friday’s as he pulled himself out of bed. A quick run of his fingers through his hair and he walked into his living room. Out of the corner of his eye, Laurent saw a sprinkle of rain outside the glass door. His pack of cigarettes was still on the wall and there was a note taped to his door. Laurent raised an eyebrow and walked over to the door. He opened it and pulled the folded up piece of paper off of the glass. It was damp from being left outside in the rain, but the writing was still legible. Written on it was a phone number as well as a note welcoming him to the building. Considering that Damianos had been the only tenant that Laurent had met, the messy handwriting had to belong to him. 

Laurent looked at the door and mentally argued with himself. The only dinner that he could bring himself to consume was a bottle of water and a slice of bread from a sandwich that he hadn’t eaten the rest of. He needed to go to the store at some point to actually fill up his fridge. He couldn’t risk running into Damen though. The two of them couldn’t be friends. It was bad enough that they were neighbors and Damen was one of the kindest men Laurent had ever met. It was unfair that Damen was most likely going to push their friendship and he was kind enough that Laurent may consider it. But it was also unfair to Damen that Laurent would have to lie to him for as long as they knew each other. Damen couldn’t know that Laurent DeVere was his neighbor. It wasn’t fair to him that Laurent couldn’t love anyone because fate took away his soul mark. He was just going to have to keep up his lies until he hopefully scared Damen away.

He left the house around one and bumped into the one person he didn’t want to run into.

“Hey there,” Damen said with a smile. Nicaise was standing behind him, staring down at his phone and texting someone.

“Good afternoon,” Laurent replied. He glanced at Nicaise with a raised eyebrow and looked back at Damen. “Shouldn’t he be in school right now?”

“The school called this morning and said that there was a fire in the library sometime last night. They decided to let everyone stay home while they cleaned up the damage and checked the electrical wiring in the classrooms to avoid another risk. We’re actually going out to lunch right now. Would you like to join us?”

“I...can’t. I have an essay I need to work on and my internet hasn’t been set up in my apartment yet.” It wasn’t a complete lie. Laurent did need to work on that essay at some point. He just couldn’t bring himself to. 

“That’s a shame. Maybe next time then.” Damen looked somewhat like a kicked puppy and it almost made Laurent change his mind. “I didn’t catch your name last night.”

“Charlie,” Laurent immediately spit out. It was the first name to come to his head and it was too late to correct himself.

“Charlie?” Damen asked. Behind him, his son let out a snort.

“Yeah. I was named after a close friend of my father’s. His name was Charls.” Laurent glanced at his phone and sighed. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll see you around. It was good to see you.” Laurent gave the pair a wave before walking to the staircase.  
***  
“Are you sure?” Laurent looked down into his cup of coffee and frowned.

“I don’t know,” he replied, mindlessly mixing sugar into his drink. “But it can't be a coincidence, right? It’s too uncommon of a name.”

“You have to tell him then.”

“I...I can’t.”

“Laurent.”

“I can’t, Auguste. I’ve already lied to him a couple times and I can’t go back on them. He’s kind, Auguste. He’s nice and he’s gentlemanly and he has a son. He has a kid and I’ve never been good with kids and he invited me out to lunch with him today even though we only met yesterday and-”

“Laurent. Take a deep breath. Calm down. Relax. You’re going to panic.” Laurent looked down at his hand and saw that it was shaking. He curled his hand into a fist and took a deep breath. “He deserves to know the truth.”

“I can’t tell him. I can’t prove to him that I’m his soulmate. I don’t have the mark.” 

“He’ll know, Laurent. You’ll meet him and you’ll come to know him and he’ll know. You’re a wonderful young man, Laurent. You’re going to do great things in life. I know you’re scared, but Damianos won’t hurt you. Destiny wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Destiny took away my mark in the first place. Fuck what destiny has to say.”

“It knows who you belong with. It helped me meet Angelina and we have a child together. You’re afraid and you’re allowed to be, but he’s your soulmate, whether you have his name on your wrist or not. Think about it, Laurent. You and him belong together no matter what.” Auguste stopped taking for a moment. “I have to go. Consider it. He deserves to know the truth even if you don’t want to pursue the relationship. I’ll talk to you soon.” Laurent disconnected the call and stared into his coffee. He took a hesitant sip, reaching into his pocket to pull out the note. Without thinking, he dialed the number and put the phone to his ear. There were a few rings before a voice was heard on the other line.

“Shi- Hello?” Damen said.

“Hi. Did I call at a bad time?” 

“Charlie? No, it’s not a bad time at all. I just almost dropped my phone in a puddle. What’s up?” Laurent put a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. He cleared his throat and brushed the hair out of his face.

“I wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting. I’ve been nervous about my move and living alone and I’m sorry. I want to invite you and Nicaise over for dinner tonight as a formal apology.”

“I’d love to and I appreciate the offer, but Nicaise and I are going to my parent’s house tonight to celebrate my dad's birthday.” 

“R-Right. It’s fine. I just thought I would make the offer.”

“I would love to have dinner with you sometime, though. Whenever you’re free.”

“That would be nice. I’d like that.”

“Great. Was there anything else?” Laurent had a hundred responses to that question. He should have said all of them, but he only responded with, “Nothing that I can think of.” 

“I’ll see you later then,” Damen said. 

“Bye.” Laurent ended the call with a small smile on his face.   
***  
Laurent continued his lies despite what his brother had told him. Damen was a good man who didn’t deserve to be lied to, but Laurent had no choice. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Damen who he actually was, so he lied about his entire life. To Damen, Laurent DeVere was actually Charlie Anderson, a psychology major who lived in Marlas alone. The rest of his family was in Vere, patiently waiting his return. He hated lying to Damen, but it was the best thing for the both of them. 

Damen, as Laurent had discovered, was too nice and Laurent found himself over at his apartment more often than he thought he would. Damen was a wonderful chef and host and was always happy to have Laurent over. The blonde always made sure to bring a gift each time as a token of his appreciation. Each time Damen tried to refuse the gift, Laurent put it on the counter and said that it was the neighborly thing to do. Damen would just roll his eyes and let him do as he pleased. 

Laurent also learned a great deal about Damen. His ex girlfriend had broken up with him because she wanted to be with his brother and a few weeks after that, he had adopted Nicaise. He owned his own tattoo parlor and had his fair share of tattoos. He had originally gone to college to study business, but decided that he wanted to live his own life instead of working at his father’s company. He also volunteered at animal shelters and was on the PTA for Nicaise’s school. All in all, Damen was an amazing man, which made everything worse.

From what Laurent could tell, Damen trusted him and believed every word he said. His son, unfortunately, saw right through him. Laurent never believed that his downfall would happen because of a thirteen year old, but he also never thought that his next door neighbor would be his soulmate. Fate was funny that way.

While dinner was cooking, Damen excused himself to take a shower. A few minutes after he left, Nicaise looked up from his phone and glared at Laurent.

“You need to leave.” The blonde raised an eyebrow at the child’s order.

“Excuse me?”

“If you’re going to lie to Damen, I don’t want you anywhere near him.” Laurent bit his lip and looked down at his phone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t, Laurent.” Laurent immediately froze and looked at the thirteen year old. 

“How did you know that?”

“You really don’t think I looked up Damen’s soulmate the first chance I got? I wanted to make sure that his soulmate was going to be good enough for him, but not only are you pretentious as fuck, you’re also a liar. I want you to get away from him and stay away.”

“Nicaise, I know that you’re upset, but there’s a reason that I have to lie to him. I’m not going to pursue a relationship with him because of that reason. Damen is a good person and he’s the nicest man that I’ve ever met. I don’t want him to be hurt because of me. I’ve tried to avoid being friends with him, but you know your dad better than I do and I’m sure that you know that he wants to be friends with everyone.”

“I don’t want him to be friends with you. Now get out.” Laurent felt a small pang in his chest that made him feel a little sick.

“Nicaise, please don’t tell Damen who I actually am.”

“Are you going to tell him?” The blonde opened his mouth to reply, but couldn’t come up with anything to say.

“Telling him is the right thing to do.”

“So are you going to?”

“But I can’t.” 

“Why not?” 

“I care about him and I don’t want to see him hurt.”

“I thought you weren’t going to date him.”

“I-” Laurent drifted off. He had to leave. His identity had been revealed and he didn’t want Damen to be there when they had this argument. It was unfair to him. It was unfair that Laurent cared about Damen, but didn’t intend on being in a relationship with him.

“Is everything okay?” Damen asked, walking into the living room with a towel in his hand.

“I’m sorry, Damen. Something came up and I have to go.” He needed to get out as soon as he could. If he stayed any longer, he’d say something that he would regret and he didn’t want to do that to Damen.

“Charlie, wait-” Laurent grabbed his jacket and ran out the door as quickly as he could. He unlocked his door and slammed it closed behind him, sliding down onto the floor. He put his hands to his face and was surprised to feel tears slipping down his cheeks. He wiped them away and went to his bedroom, curling up onto his bed and burying his face into the pillow, trying not to cry himself to sleep.  
***  
Laurent went three weeks successfully avoiding Damen. He left his apartment two hours before his classes just to avoid his neighbor as much as possible. It worked for awhile and Laurent was relieved. He knew what Damen was going to ask when they ran into each other again and he wasn’t sure if he would be able to keep up his lies. He just had to continue avoiding Damen as much as he could and hopefully, Damen would give up on him.

Unfortunately, Laurent had shit luck and he had to miss one of his night classes due to nausea. It messed up his entire schedule, but he could hardly remember his own name, much less worry about continuing lying to his neighbor. He just had to hope that Damen was going to be working late and he wouldn’t have to talk to him.

Laurent eventually stumbled into his apartment elevator and leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and silently prepared for himself for the elevator ride when someone called out and the doors opened again. Laurent would have ignored the other person if the other person wasn’t Damen and wasn’t worried about him.

“Charlie?” Damen asked. “Are you alright?” The blonde couldn’t bring himself to argue and just shook his head. He slid onto the floor and held himself, starting to shiver violently. Something was draped over his shoulders and Damen started to help him up. Laurent’s legs shook and he collapsed against Damen, unable to stand up on his own. “Shit. Okay, Charlie. You’re going to have to work with me here. I’m going to need your keys.” Laurent just buried his head in Damen’s chest, trying to focus on one thing and stay awake. He was either going to pass out in Damen’s arms or vomit on his shoes and his plan was to do neither of them.

He ended up passing out. It was better than the alternative, but it still meant that he was unconscious and alone with someone that he had been trying to avoid. When he did wake up, he was lying on a bed, fully clothed and cold air blowing on him. A cool, wet cloth was draped across his forehead.

“Charlie?” Damen whispered. “Charlie, are you alright? Can you hear me?” Laurent opened his eyes and immediately saw Damen kneeling down next to his bed, watching him closely.

“Did I...I’m sorry.” Laurent didn’t know why he was apologizing, but he was. 

“It’s okay, Charlie. I’m just worried about you. How do you feel?” He curled up and tried to warm himself up.

“Not good. Can you close the window please?” 

“You’re burning up. How can you be cold?” Instead of closing the window, Damen grabbed a glass of water and held it out to Laurent. “Drink something. When was the last time you ate?”

“I had a slice of toast for breakfast. I’ve been too busy all day to eat.”

“No wonder you passed out. Drink some water and rest. I’ll be right back.” Laurent wanted to say, “You don’t have to stay.” But what came out was, 

“Please don’t leave.” Damen gave him the softest look and at that moment, Laurent really wanted to kiss him. He couldn’t tell if it was the nausea or just his feelings, but Laurent wanted to kiss him badly.

“I’ll be right back, Charlie. I’m gonna go get something for you to eat.” He walked out of the room and Laurent curled up under his comforter and fell asleep soon after he left.

When Laurent woke up, he was sweaty, hot, and uncomfortable. He sat up and started to take off his shirt, but stopped when he saw Damen asleep in his desk chair. The man had head resting on his arms and was fast asleep. Laurent carefully walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. He stirred, but stayed asleep.

Laurent grabbed a blanket from his arm chair and draped it over the taller man’s shoulders before completely undressing and going to his bathroom. As he waited for the water to heat up, Laurent brushed his teeth and washed his face. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, looking away and getting into the shower. He didn’t feel as nauseous as he had the previous night, but he still felt a little too warm and he could feel a migraine coming on. 

After his shower, he put his hair into a braid and pulled on a pair of sweats. He walked out into his bedroom where Damen was walking back in, fully dressed. 

“Hey,” he smiled. Laurent quickly crossed his arms to hide his wrist. “How are you feeling?”

“Can you please just leave?” Laurent hadn’t meant to word it so rudely, but his anxiety was reaching a breaking point and he had no other choice than to lock himself away. He walked into his closet and pulled on a sweater. Damen’s smile faded away.

“I’m sorry if I pushed any boundaries, but you just collapsed on me and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Damen, please. I can’t be around you right now.” 

“Did I do or say something that upset you? Did Nicaise say something? You’ve been purposefully avoiding me and I don’t understand why. Charlie, talk to-”

“My name isn’t Charlie!” Laurent snapped out. He put a hand over his mouth and he could feel the tears spilling down his cheeks. It was too late. He couldn’t fix this.

“What are you talking about?” Laurent took a shaky breath and tried to calm himself, but everything hurt and his mouth wouldn’t stay closed.

“My real name is Laurent DeVere. I’m a criminal law major and my only living relative is my brother who lives on the other side of the city with his wife and daughter. I lied to you because when I was a child, I lost my soul mark and I’m not going to ruin you like I ruined myself.” Damen stood there, confused. His mouth was open, but he didn’t say anything and somehow, that hurt more.

“What?” It sounded broken. Laurent let out a sob and leaned against the wall.

“Will you please just go?”

“Wait-”

“Damen, just go!” Damen closed his eyes and nodded. 

“Right. Okay. I’ll go. I- I’m sorry.” 

“Please don’t apologize for me.” Laurent’s whisper was too quiet for Damen to hear as he walked out the door. Laurent collapsed onto the ground, breaking into uncontrollable sobs.  
***  
After that, Laurent worked twice as hard to avoid Damen as much as possible. He had fucked up. He knew he had. It was his fault, though. He had let himself get close when he knew that it was going to hurt. It was his own mistake. He let himself develop a crush a crush on the one man he told himself to avoid. Even the smallest glance at his neighbor hurt. Seeing Damen on occasion was inevitable, but even just hearing his voice or seeing him walk into his apartment hurt. Laurent was miserable. Someone who wasn’t his brother had started to genuinely like Laurent and all Laurent had done was lie and push him away. 

Everything hurt. Laurent felt empty and sad and heartbroken and he broke down every time he thought about his confession. This was why destiny had taken his soulmark away. He was going to screw up and lose his soul mate. Laurent only wished that he hadn’t cared so much about Damen. 

Laurent sat in the closest bar to his apartment, drinking something the bartender had called ‘griva’. As he drank, he looked through apartment listings that were still close to his school. He couldn’t live in his anymore. He needed a fresh new start with a neighbor that wasn’t so kind and handsome. 

Laurent finished his third glass of griva and pulled himself off of the bar stool, prepared to go back to his apartment while he still knew what he was doing. He stumbled a bit, forcing him to grab the counter to steady himself. He let out a small snort of laughter and started walking again when someone put a hand on his shoulder. Laurent turned, prepared to curse out the stranger, only to see soft brown eyes looking down at him in worry. Laurent immediately flinched away, banging his hip on the counter as he did. 

“Why are you here?” The blonde asked. It was a stupid question. Damen had as much of a right to be there as Laurent did, but that didn’t mean he had to talk to Laurent the moment he saw him.

“I thought you didn’t drink,” Damen mumbled back. Laurent looked away, ashamed.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“You’re drunk and it’ll take forever for you to get a cab. Let me drive you home.”

“Shouldn’t you be watching Nicaise?”

“He’s spending the weekend with his grandparents. Don’t change the subject.”

“Damianos, I am drunk which is very uncommon for me and I have a lot of feelings towards you that I have been hiding away so I believe that it is best for the both of us to pretend that this never happened.”

“I’m not letting you go home alone in this state. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“You’re here with your friends.”

“And I get to avoid a hangover. Let me drive you home.” Laurent’s grip on the counter tightened as he tried to organize his thoughts. Going home with Damen was a bad idea. Being in a car alone with Damen was a bad idea. Anything having to do with Laurent being near Damen was a bad idea.

“I can walk home myself.”

“Laurent, it took me fifteen minutes by car to get here. You are drunk and not yourself and I don’t think snarky insults will scare away anyone trying to mug you.” Laurent bit his lip and finally gave in.

“Fine.” With Damen’s help, Laurent stumbled out into the cold and into Damen’s car where he immediately curled up in his seat. Damen put on Laurent’s seatbelt for him and got into the driver’s seat, starting towards the apartment complex. 

The ride was silent. Laurent wanted to fall asleep; he knew that Damen wouldn’t try anything. His brain didn’t let him fall asleep, though. It reminded him about what had happened the last time he was in a weakened state with a man that he thought he could trust. 

“You deserve better,” Laurent mumbled. Damen kept his eyes on the road and didn’t answer. “You’re very kind and you have been since you met me even when I was crass. My brother and Nicaise both told me that I should have told you who I really was, but I couldn’t.” Laurent couldn’t stop his mouth no matter how much he wanted to. “I had dug my own grave at that point and it wasn’t going to be fair to you. I panicked when I first introduced myself because it wasn’t like I could prove that I was your soulmate. I’ve done my research and there are several cases of people being someone’s soulmate, but their soulmate not being theirs and I didn’t want that. People don’t meet their soulmate; it happens sometimes. You’re very kind and you would have found someone who could actually love you instead of someone who was fucked over by fate. There’s so much I can’t give you. I’m not good for you. You deserve someone who can give you everything that you want and deserve and that isn’t me. And it hurts. It hurts because I like you so much and I’ve never felt this way about anyone before because I’ve locked myself away for the past ten years and I tried to push you away and you just kept coming back in and I don’t know whether to love you or hate you for it. All of this is so confusing and scary and I don’t know what I’m doing. Damen, please say something.” Damen didn’t say anything, but he did grab Laurent’s hand and ran his thumb across it in a comforting manner. It was something.

Laurent had partially sobered up by the time that they arrived at the complex, but he still needed to use Damen as a support. He let go once they got into the elevator and curled up into the corner and squeezed his eyes shut. Damen didn’t say anything. He helped Laurent into apartment and into bed where Laurent kicked off his shoes and buried his face into the pillow. He didn’t even look up to see if Damen left before he fell asleep.  
***  
Laurent woke up the next morning with a mild headache and he wanted nothing more than to lay in bed. He grabbed the corner of his comforter and cocooned himself in it, doing his best to shy away from the bright light peering into his window. The door suddenly opened and the smell of coffee filled the room. Damen was still in the apartment. He had stayed the night. Laurent sat up and looked over at the handsome, kind, and shirtless man standing in his bedroom with a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes. 

“You’re still here,” Laurent whispered, running his fingers through his hair. 

“You’ve never had a hangover before,” Damen smiled, setting the plate down in front of Laurent. “And I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Their fingers brushed together as Laurent moved to grab his coffee cup. He took a small sip and set the cup aside. Damen moved across the room and sat down in Laurent’s armchair. The blonde picked at the pancakes, but didn’t eat anything.

“Damen.”

“Laurent.” Laurent bit his lip and nodded, guestering for Damen to speak. Damen pursed his lips, pondering what he should say.

“Nicaise said that he looked you up when he read my soulmark,” Damen said, his voice even. “So did I. The case of Richard DeVere was big. I didn’t know what to expect when I met you, if I ever met you. I just knew that I wanted to help you in anyway I could. No, I didn’t know who you were when I first met you, but either way I wanted to get to know you. Despite everything, I still fell for Charlie. I like you, Laurent. I like you a lot. You’re unique and special and extremely smart.”

“But I lied to you about everything. You know nothing about me.”

“Then start talking.” 

“What?” Damen moved over to the bed and sat down in front of Laurent.

“Tell me about yourself. What’s your favorite animal?”

“You can not be serious.” 

“I am completely serious.” Laurent raised an eyebrow at him and rolled his eyes.

“Fine. I liked horses when I was a child, but I would have to say cats.” 

“Why are you going into criminal law?”

“I want to be a lawyer. The one that my brother and I had during our trial was a hero to me and I want to do the same thing for another child in need.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“My faux aunt sends us homemade scones and truffles every Christmas and they are amazing.” Damen snorted and shook his head.

“That doesn’t count.”

“It absolutely counts.”

“Whatever. What’s your favorite movie?”

“I enjoy the occasional romantic comedy.” Damen started laughing causing Laurent to kick at his leg. He slid across his bed with a smile. 

“I could have guessed that.”

“Shut up.” Damen stuck his tongue out at Laurent and Laurent tried to kick him again. “Just ask your next question.”

“Will you come to my apartment for dinner tomorrow night?” Laurent stopped and looked over at him. “I just miss having someone finish their entire meal without trying to hide their vegetables from me.” Laurent let out a small laugh.

“I’ll see if I can bring myself to join you.”

“I can’t wait to have you over again.” Laurent brushed the hair out of his face and looked down at his bed, hiding his blush.  
***  
“I’m glad I came over.” Damen smiled across the counter as he cleared their dishes.

“I’m glad you came.” Laurent traced the rim of his glass with a smile. “So are you ready for dessert?”

“Surprise me.” Damen reached into the oven and pulled out a tray of scones. “You’re ridiculous.” 

“I know they’re not the same, but I thought that I would make the attempt.”

“Thank you.” Damen sat the tray on the counter to cool and walked over to refill Laurent’s glass with water. “Damen, really, thank you. You’re…you’re too kind.”

“You say that a lot.”

“Because it’s true.” Damen smiled and sat down next to Laurent, resting his arm on the counter. “And I want this. I just…”

“What are your boundaries? What should I avoid?”

“I don’t want to do anything psychical. Not immediately. I need some time.” 

“Okay.”

“And I’m not used to touching so please don’t get offended if I flinch away.”

“Go on.”

“Keep conversations about my family solely on my brother and his wife.”

“I can do that.”

“And sometimes, I won’t want to talk to you. I won’t talk to anyone. Sometimes I just need to turn my phone off and be alone. Please don’t kick my apartment door down because I didn’t answer a text.”

“Anything else?”

“I like you. I’ve never liked anyone before and I don’t know how to do this without…” Laurent subconsciously rubbed his left wrist. 

“This is new to you. That’s okay. I have no problem starting from square one.”

“Thank you.”

“And I like you too, Laurent. I like you a lot.” Laurent looked down at the counter and flushed. It was all new to him. He didn’t know what to do and he especially didn’t want to scare Damen away.

“Please tell me if I say anything stupid or ridiculous. I don’t know what to say or how to act or-”

“Just be yourself. That’s why I like you.”

“I was anything but myself.”

“Still. I want to get to know the real you. No more lies.”

“No more lies,” Laurent agreed.  
***  
Laurent wouldn’t call it dating. It was no different than when he would go over to Damen’s for dinner when they were still friends. There was no kissing, no touching, and no reason for Laurent to spend the night. And yet, the word ‘boyfriend’ still spilled from his lips when he talked to his brother. Auguste had choked on his water and stared at his brother in shock.

“So you two are serious?” 

“Not exactly,” Laurent sighed. “Our feelings for each other are mutual, but he understands my...hesitancy. I use ‘boyfriend’ very loosely, but Damen uses it around his son and his parents so he doesn’t mind waiting.”

“I told you fate would lead you in the right direction.” Laurent rolled his eyes and stood up.

“I’m gonna head back home.”

“So soon? You don’t have class tomorrow.”

“No, but Damen wants me to meet his friends and I need to prepare myself for it.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand if you back out.”

“That’s exactly what I don’t want to do. I want to be comfortable. I’m just not used to meeting so many people at once.”

“You know you can call me if you need to, right?” Laurent smiled and hugged his brother. 

“Of course I do. I’ll see you soon, Auguste.”

“Drive safe, little brother.” Laurent drove back to his apartment, carefully drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. It wasn’t like he was nervous about meeting Damen’s friends. He was just afraid of what they were going to think of him and say behind Damen’s back. To most people, Laurent wasn’t much outside of his looks. He just didn’t want Damen’s friends to think that he wasn’t good enough.

Laurent got out of his car and walked to the elevator, shrugging off his jacket. He hung it over his arm as he pressed the button for his floor and rested his head against the cool wall. He closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment as the doors closed and the elevator started climbing up. After only a minute, it shook and stopped. Laurent raised an eyebrow and pressed the emergency button on the panel. A second later, the lights went out and the elevator moved up a few inches before making a loud clunking sound and stopping completely.

“Shit,” he hissed out, frantically pressing random buttons. “Fuck!” He collapsed onto the ground and tried to keep his breathing calm. With a shaky hand, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called the second number on his speed dial.

“Laurent,” Damen said. “I thought you were at your brother’s.”

“I left early. I’m stuck in the elevator.”

“Are you okay?”

“I think there was a power outage or something. It’s completely stopped and the lights are out.”

“Are you okay, Laurent?”

“I’m...panicking, but only slightly. I don’t like being alone in the dark. I...”

“We’re five minutes away. Do you need me to stay on the phone?”

“I don’t know how long the signal is going to last. Just get here soon. Please.”

“We’ll be right there.” Laurent let the phone slip from his hand onto the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair and rested his head on his knees, trying to calm his breath. He could feel himself shaking and he wished that he hadn’t hung up on Damen. He let out a shaky sob and tightened the grip on his hair. The phone vibrated next to him. It was probably Damen calling him back, but he couldn’t answer it. Laurent started to feel sick. A few minutes later, he heard a knock on door. “Laurent! Are you in there?”

“I haven’t moved,” Laurent responded with a dry laugh. 

“You’re going to be okay, Laurent. I promise. I’m right here. What do you need me to do?”

“Just keep talking. Tell me about your parents or about your day. Just don’t stop talking.”

“We went to the pet store because I promised Nicaise that if he got straight A’s on his report card, I would let him pick out any animal he wants. Long story short, we’re going to pick up his snake tomorrow. My parents really want to meet you, but they’re okay with waiting if you’re more comfortable with that. They really seem to like you from what I told them.”

“I want to meet them. Whenever is good for them.”

“They’ll love to hear that, Laurent.”

“What is Nicaise going to name his snake?”

“He’s stuck between Captain Slithers and Mister Scaly.”

“Quite an imaginative child you’ve raised,” Laurent smiled.

“At least you still have your sarcasm.”

“Always.”

“We also walked by this little Italian restaurant that I want to take you to one of these nights.”

“I would like that.”

“How about the night after next then? I can have Nikandros watch Nicaise and we can have the night to ourselves.”

“I’d like that a lot.”

“Then it’s settled.” Damen didn’t say anything after that. 

“Damen? Are you still there?” Nothing. “Damen?” The air around Laurent suddenly felt too heavy. He couldn’t breath. “Damen, where are you?” The door opened and there were arms suddenly wrapped around Laurent. Curly hair pressed against his cheek as Laurent was brought to his feet. The arms around his waist stayed there until Laurent could stand on his own and were immediately back when Laurent pulled Damen into a hug, burying his face in his chest.

“You asshole! Where did you go?” Damen put one hand on the back of Laurent’s head and kept the other wrapped around his waist.

“I’m sorry, Laurent. I’m so sorry. The technician needed to do his work so I had to give him some space. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Laurent just gripped his shirt.

“Just take me home. Your home. I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

“So touching is okay?”

“Is that not what we’re doing now?”

“I guess you’re right. Nicaise is in the apartment, but it’s late so he should be in bed-”

“Damen.”

“You’re right. It’s time for bed. Let’s go.” Laurent backed away and lowered his hand until his fingers intertwined with Damen’s. Damen squeezed his hand and led him to the staircase.   
***  
Laurent closed the bathroom door behind him and looked at the mirror. His hair was messy and his cheeks were flushed. He sighed and washed his face, running his water through his hair to try and even it out. He borrowed some of Damen’s mouthwash and started to remove his shirt. He quickly replaced it with one of Damen’s and looked down at himself. The shirt was far too big for him, but it was warm and comforting and it felt safe. He ran his thumb along a small hole that was forming in the collar. He took a deep breath and walked out of the room where Damen was laying in his bed. He glanced over at Laurent and smiled.

“You look good in my shirt.”

“You look good without one.” Laurent then sighed and shook his head. “Please pretend I never said that.” Damen let out a laugh.

“I’m never going to forget that.”

“Whatever. Move over. You’re taking up too much of the bed.” 

“I’m taking up too much of my bed?” Damen moved to his side anyway and smiled up at Laurent who flushed under his gaze.

“I-I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

“I recall something along the lines of you telling me to bring you here and-” 

“Shut up.” Laurent laid on the bed next to Damen and brushed his fingers against Damen’s. 

“Do you want to hold my hand?” Damen’s teasing caused Laurent to press his face into a pillow. 

“You’re awful. Why do I like you?”

“Do we have to go over the list again?” Laurent shook his head and pulled the blanket over himself, turning so he faced away from Damen. “That’s just mean.”

“Suck it up, buttercup.” Damen turned off the lamp on his nightstand, filling the room with darkness. Laurent turned onto his back and reached for Damen’s fingers, gently running his thumb across them. “I really don’t like being alone in the dark.”

“Is that something that we’re going to talk about at some point?” Laurent bit his lip.

“Maybe. Can you just-”

“Do you want to cuddle?”

“Hands stay above the hips.”

“Of course.” Damen moved closer, pressing his chest against Laurent’s back. He wrapped one arm around Laurent’s waist and pulled him close. Laurent closed his eyes and leaned into his touch, allowing himself to fall asleep.  
***  
“I can’t believe I agreed to let you do this.” 

“Just hold still and keep your blindfold on. I’m almost done.”

“Remind me how you convinced me to do this.”

“I said you would look good with a tattoo, you said you didn’t want anyone touching your skin, I reminded you that I am a tattoo artist, and you said that next time you were free, you would stop by. Then once you got here, I told you that you looked cute with your hair up like that and you blushed and pulled your sleeve up and told me to surprise you.”

“I have no idea what you’re doing to my skin. This is permanent, you know.”

“I’m aware. That’s why I’m also friends with someone who can remove tattoos.”

“Am I going to want to remove this?”

“I hope not.” Damen wiped something over his tattoo and Laurent heard him back away. “Okay. You can look now.” With his free hand, Laurent took off the blindfold and looked down at his wrist. His eyes widened in shock in surprise and he put his free hand over his mouth. Written in neat cursive was Damen’s name. It looked almost identical to Laurent’s own handwriting. 

“Damen, you-” Laurent looked up at Damen who stood behind Laurent with his hands on the chair, smiling down at him. “What is this?”

“Would you believe I’ve been trying to recreate your handwriting so I could get this right? You don’t have your own and I thought this is something you might like.” Damen wrapped up Laurent’s wrist to protect the tattoo and started to clean up his station. 

“Come here,” Laurent whispered. Damen knelt down in front of him and Laurent cupped his face. He carefully ran his thumbs along Damen’s cheeks before leaning down and carefully pressing their lips together. It lasted only a second and Laurent backed away almost immediately, but Damen’s lips still felt hot. “Was that okay?

“That was a lot more than okay.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask. I just-”

“Laurent, you can kiss me whenever you want to. You just need to let me know when it’s okay to do the same.” 

“It’s okay.” Laurent moved one of his hands so that his fingers ran through Damen’s hair. “You can kiss me whenever you want. You just need to be prepared to stop.”

“Of course.” Laurent kissed him again, longer this time and Damen kissed back. Damen pulled away and kissed Laurent on the forehead. “You might want to stay at my apartment until the tattoo is healed so I can make sure that it’s properly taken care of.”

“I don’t know. The commute is a little difficult for me.” Laurent kissed his cheek and got out of the chair. “I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Drive safe.” Laurent got into his car and looked down at the tattoo with a smile before turning the key and driving off. He kept a hand over his mouth to hide the ridiculous smile he had on his lips. Maybe destiny hadn’t fucked him over after all.


End file.
